The Vinyl Institute (VI), a US trade association representing manufacturers of vinyl, announced the formation of Viability, an industry-wide recycling grant program aimed at accelerating post-consumer PVC recycling across the country. Over the next three years, four US PVC resin manufacturers will provide up to $1 million in funding per year.
“Each year, more than 1.1 billion pounds of vinyl material is recycled in the US and Canada. However, post-consumer material accounts for less than a fifth of that total,” said Ned Monroe, president, and CEO of the Vinyl Institute. “We can do better, and we will. With Viability, we are demonstrating VI’s commitment to helping the industry reach its goal of increasing post-consumer recycling volume to 160 million pounds by 2025.”
Individual grants issued through Viability are available to qualifying trade associations, material recovery facilities, construction and demolition waste facilities, recyclers, or colleges and universities in amounts up to $500,000. The funds may be used for the purchase of equipment, process investments, research and development, educational programs, and program management that supports long-lasting and sustainable recycling of vinyl products. A grant committee comprised of seven members of the Vinyl Institute will select the recipients.
The first round of grant applications is due on March 1, 2023. Grant recipients will be announced by the Vinyl Institute within 60 days of the deadline.
Led by the food and beverage industry, it is anticipated that the demand for post-consumer recycled plastic packaging will rise significantly through 2026.
